These were the words used by designer EfratÂ Fridenzon at a lecture she gave about her “Precision-decision” collection. Efrat “grew up” at an industrial Â factory that is commonlyÂ usedÂ for production ofÂ mechanicalÂ assembliesÂ andÂ instruments.Â The collection is inspired by the world of precision using measurement tools and targets as key elements in the design. There is a fine line travelling between the physical and spiritual world, which is evidentÂ throughoutÂ the collection.

A series of capsule like pendants which open toÂ revealÂ a compassÂ and aÂ level. In the real world, the compass points to a direction whileÂ theÂ level finds balance. Here theÂ interpretationÂ shifts from the physical world and finds a more spiritual definition: A guide for internal balance.

I love this collection since it is simple, meaningful and unisex. My favorite item is the “Hidden Direction capsule” I think it’s a lovely talisman and could work as a great gift for graduation, newÂ beginningsÂ or for someone who is traveling.

Don’t you love spring? I love the feeling of blossom in the air and I have wonderful news to share! I opened my own interior design studio. Since I live in Israel, that’s where I’ll be working, however, you are all welcome to visit my very new website www.karenb.co.il

This is such a wonderful,Â thoughÂ nerve breaking, time in my life. I wouldÂ appreciateÂ your thoughts and comments now more than ever!

Whenever a friend of mine needed a little vote of confidence, (you know, before an interview, audition, test, etc)…I would say:

“You can do anything!All you have to do is try,try and then you’ll make it”.

After they would get the Job, gig, etc… I would say:

“I told you so and now you owe me a ShnekelÂ Â (The two New Israeli Shekel coinÂ equivalentÂ to 50 cents)”.

For some reason this almost always worked and so, any friend who was facing a newÂ beginning, came to me for a Â sort of “ShnekelÂ Â blessing”.

One of the first gifts I posted about in this blog was a travel bookletÂ that I gave to my friend who decided to follow her dream and needed to travel in order to pursue it.Â Traditionally, I told her that she will find what she needs in order to pursue her dream and that when she does she will owe me a Shnekel.Â I finally got to see this friend whom I haven’t seen in a very long time. We were catching up and I was telling her that I’m opening my own interior design studio and that I’m totally freaking out about it… When all of a sudden she said:

” I have to give you something”.

She started byÂ apologizing since she had this gift made long ago and didn’t get the chance to give it to me. Since the trip really put her on track with her dream, she “owed me a Shnekel”.

I was so moved to get this, she mostÂ thoughtfullyÂ framed a Shnekel with the Shel Silverstein’s poem, “Listen to the mustn’t, child”.

You canÂ immediately tell that she put a lot of thought into this gift. The gift tag, the wrapping and finally the gift itself, were all well thought and beautiful.

The funny thing was that she felt so bad for not giving me the gift before, she didn’t realize that she gave it to me when I needed it most.

I can’t believe that this is my 100th post! I was saving one of my DIY projects just for such a joyful occasion, though I mustÂ admit that I almost didn’t notice that I hit 100 posts. It was a real surpriseÂ realizingÂ that I did,I guess it’s kind of like forgetting that it’s your birthday.

So here it is a special DIY project that I call: Our friendship in a nutshell.

There areÂ severalÂ reasons that this post is very dear to me. First, it was a gift to my oldest and dear dear friend. Second, I came up with this sweet idea all by my little self. Third, I wasn’t sure I’ll be able to actually make this gift, so you can imagine how excited I was to see that it came out real nice.

The idea is based on the phrase “In a nutshell” which refers toÂ describing something using as few words as possible. The idea came to me when I saw walnut perfectly broken into two shells. I thought to myself that it could be used as a little box to contain a secret message. And thenÂ it hit me! It would be such a cute gift to write down a summery of the relationship, pointing out specialÂ occasions,Â shared phrases and long lost memories, using a nutshell as the box.Â Hence, “Our Friendship in aÂ Nutshell”.

Once I thought of the idea it wasÂ obviousÂ which friend is going toÂ receiveÂ it, my oldest friend. Going back almost a year and a half ago, I wrote a post about a gift IÂ receivedÂ from my oldest friend, using a shared phrase that became sort ofÂ legendary phrase among our friends: Tuna Fish Need Love. I think that the “friendshipÂ in a nutshell” gift is similar in concept to the book she made me, since both gifts are like a time capsule of memories. It was so much fun trying to remember all the silly things we did together.(Initially I thought about using pictures but then IÂ realizedÂ that they would come out too small and probably won’t fit in the nutshell).

This is a quite simple DIY project. Follow these few simple steps:

Step 1: Break a walnut into two pieces

Step 2: Coat it with a color of your choice. I used gold leafs, but I think that a simple acrylic color would be just as good.

step 3: This is the tricky part. I wanted to be able to open and close the nutshell. At first I though about using a hinge, but that was too small. So I took a piece of ribbon and glued it to the inner side of one of the shells. This way I was able to tie the twoÂ pieces together in order to open and close the nutshell.

Step 4: Print out a small note with the friendship description and in aÂ separateÂ thin piece of paper the phrase “our friendship in a nutshell”.Â Roll the note up like a little scroll and use another string of paper, to keep the note rolled. I simply glued one end to the other, making enough room to slip the scroll in.

Step 5: Place the note inside the nutshell, allowing the thin paper with the phrase to stick out. Tie the ribbon in a pretty bow and there you have it! Your friendship in a nutshell.

Step 6: Hide the nut in a bag full of nuts and give to your friend.

I made this for a close friend but this really is a wonderful anniversary gift for your husband/wife, niece/nephew, Parent, teacher or anyone sharing a long history that can be described in a nutshell. Since it’s small, you can give it as a keepsake for a traveling loved one. It is a great gift for the end of the year or a newÂ beginning.

Most importantly it is real easy to make and although it’s cheep and easy to make, it’s actually priceless.

I’ve been meaning to write another color code post ever since I posted the black and white one. TheÂ problemÂ is, there are so many colors, I didn’t know which one to pick (Choices, choices). Then I recalled that at my last shopping spree, after going through all the stuff I got, I realized that I bought mostly blue clothes with gold accessories (isn’t thatÂ weird?). SO, why not? Let artÂ imitateÂ life… I’ve decided onÂ RoyalÂ blue and gold, a very lively combination that would work for the elegant, yet colorful person. When I started browsing for items, I didn’t think that the roundup will end up being so lovely.

1. For boys, men or dinosaurs fans such as myself. A whimsical planterÂ by crazyÂ coutureÂ adds a pop of color to any room. Great as a housewarming gift for a bachelor’s pad.

2. Scarfs are almost always a fun gift, that would fit any woman. I love a scarf that gives a splash of color, you can find this one at Periay’s store on Etsy.

3. OhÂ jewelry…need I say more? Lovely Peacock bangle by Max&Chole

4. Not quite my style, but what the heck… It’s Miu Miu shoes, in blue or gold glitter.

My very good friend is having a tough year, or even a couple of years.Â We all know how tough it is when things go very wrong. You start to lose faith in yourself and sometimes it seems like things will never turn for the better. I have to admit thatÂ I’m very proud of this friend of mine. She is staying very positiveÂ despiteÂ theÂ difficultiesÂ she’s been facing and that’s not an easy thing to do. So when I heard she just got summoned for an audition, I was thrilled. I have every confidence that she wouldÂ succeedÂ since I know how talented she really is, but I also know how hard it can be to believe in yourself. Sometimes lack of confidence combined with fear ofÂ failure can really set you back from success.

In my life, I try to always make the brave decision as apposed to the comfortableÂ decision, and I encourage my friends to do the same. Usually I give a pep talk, but this time IÂ decided to make her an inspirational print.

Now all I have to do is wait for her to call me and tell me that she nailed it!

My father in law turned 70 this year, and his three sons (my husband and two brothers) decided to give him a special gift: a family trip to Italy. They ordered tickets, rented a car, an Italian villa and planned every detail. They haven’t been on a family trip abroad for over 25 years…So this was a very special occasion. At first he was quite upset that they spent so much money on the trip, but once they arrived in Italy, heÂ realizedÂ that such a family trip is really priceless… They had so much fun together and since my husband felt guilty for leaving me with our then 2 months old baby, he brought home wonderful gifts. Yay!!!

UsuallyÂ finding gifts in a country which has many tourists isÂ difficult, but Italy is somewhat different. First of all theÂ obvious gift isÂ food, you can bring back wine,Â Parmesan cheese, or balsamicÂ vinegar and you are off the hook. The other choice is all the paper goods…Â BeautifulÂ stationary,Â Personalized Ex-LibrisÂ Â stamps for marking your favorite books andÂ monogrammedÂ wax seals that makes you feel like royalty. You really don’t have to put a lot of thought into an Italian gift, you just have to decide whether theÂ recipient would rather have fine Italian products, crafty supplies, or both…

Three more days to Father’s Day!!! Â I Know you already have a printed card… but do you have a gift yet? I’ve rounded up some gifts for guys, for all of you, last minute gift people (like me). Mind you, some of these gifts work as a graduation gift as well.

For the trendy dad, this hot Fred PerryÂ satchel bag. Oh, sometimes I do wish I were a man…

TheÂ gentlemenÂ dad would dig these classicÂ Brooks Brothers cuff-links… Make sure your dad has the shirt for it, or add it to the package.

For the casual dad, these hand sewn FlorsheimÂ moccasins willÂ envelopeÂ his feet with a lot of love. I think they work as slippers as well don’t you?

Your father has allergies? Better get him these stylishÂ handkerchiefsÂ byÂ Izola. I know the father of my kid needs one or two of those…

I feel like this watch needs a post of it’s own!Â Pebble is aÂ smart-watch. It’s infinitelyÂ customization, with beautiful downloadable watchfaces and useful internet-connected apps. It connects to iPhone and Android smartphones using Bluetooth and therefore you can listen to music and cycle with it…Â GreatÂ for the high-tech sporty dad! Be sure to visitÂ KickstarterÂ and watch the video.

I cannot count the amount of technology that my other half has… An iPad, a tablet, iPhone and Kindle. ON second thought, this gift might be for your mother… A beautifully designed iPhone and iPad stand byÂ KinodaiÂ to hold dad’s stuff.

Instagram feverÂ caught many dads… If your father is hooked on Instagram, imagine how happy he would be, spreading stickers of his photos all around.Â PrintstagramÂ will send you two sticker books for only 10 $!!! Happy sticking!

Motherâ€™s day isÂ comingÂ up and this year it has a whole new meaning for me since itâ€™s my first as a mother. I always knew that mothers are a special breed but these first nine weeks as a mother made me appreciate my own mother in a different light. The thought of having to care for someone else for the rest of my life is very stressful and I donâ€™t think that feeling will ever go away.

I would like to take a moment to say a few words about my own mother since she really is a special person. I really donâ€™t know how she manages to do it: She works late hours and still finds the time to manage a household, take care of her elderly mother, her kids and help with her grandchildren. Whenever I need her she is there, and she always knows how to sort problems out. She is aÂ true source of inspiration.

What are you waiting for then? It’s time to start thinking about a thoughtful present for your mother so you’re not rushing last minute.

Here are some ideaâ€™s to get you startedâ€¦

For the Soccer mom:Â She won’t miss a game with this Halftone CalenderÂ and by next mother’s day, she’ll fill in all the dots and complete the image. Make it extra special by using a photo of your face (unfortunately, it only works with a close up picture).

Now, as much as I love my mother, I don’t think she would enjoy any of these gifts, she is theÂ old fashionedÂ mom, for her a big flowerÂ bouquet or pictures of her grandson are the best way to go.Â Sometimes simple is better. And although it doesn’t sound like much, I’m sure that all your mothers would mostÂ appreciateÂ some help around the house. I know I would…

Yesterday I realized that today is our second anniversary!!! oops! I totally forgot about it and didn’t have anything ready… Some gift blogging wife am I! Thank god for the internet for quick solutions. I justÂ Googled “anniversary gift for husband” and found a great gift on Etsy: The Eye Exam Chart Print.Â Â I like a simple design like this one, the idea is smart and strong, the concept is simpleÂ enough: at first glance this looks like your average eye exam, but when you read into it you find a secret message hidden inside. Don’t you just love hidden messages???

Since I had no time whatsoever, I couldn’t order this online and had to make my own version. Luckily I had all the supplies. I needed a frame, colors, the print itself, (which you can DIY with Word, Power Point, Illustrator or Photoshop and print in black and white).

Making the gift myself gave me the freedom to check different text options, which was good since I wasn’t sure on how I wanted to phrase theÂ sentence. You know how you use sentences differently with different people… Well, even though this sentence is Â weirdly written, it is the outcome of the common language that my love and I share.

Since the first thing my husband does in the morning is sit by his desk andÂ browseÂ the internet, I decided that the best way to give him this gift would be to leave it at his desk.Â This way it is the first thing he will see in the morning. Since he wakes up before me I had to sneak it into his den at night and leave it for him to find. The surprise was almost revealed since he went to close the computer before we went to bed, butÂ fortunatelyÂ he didn’t notice that something was different.

I forgot to mention an important fact that made this giftÂ extraÂ personal. My dear husband has a condition that requires eyeÂ physiotherapy, hence, he has to goÂ throughÂ the eye exam every few weeks in order to check if the treatment works. When he saw the frame at his desk in theÂ morning, he initially Â thought I was mocking him, but when he looked closely, and read the message, he realized that it was a loving gesture.

Keep in mind that I made this for our anniversary, but given the rightÂ wording,Â this gift can work for almost anyÂ occasionÂ and anyone. Just use your imagination and personalize it any way you like.